January 27, 2025 by Natasha Polito

All clients have their preference as to their “secret sauce” when it comes to advertising.  For some, radio has been what built their business.  Other companies swear that radio is dead.  Here’s how to make your radio advertising more targeted and effective.

  1.  First thing- you have to do business with people you trust.  This is the most important rule in advertising.  If you trust someone else with your advertising budget because you don’t know all of the ins and outs on how to make it work, then you better have a seasoned rep who knows what to do!  
  2. First in break, last in break, and bookends.  Bookends are commercials that are at (or near) the “top of the break.”  These are the first commercials you hear or the last ones you hear in between commercial breaks.  Unless it’s a “free” commercial, you should consider bookends so that you’re not smooshed into the middle of an 18-minute commercial break.  You think I’m joking, don’t you?
  3. Consider ditching music stations for talk radio.  If you don’t want your ads to be lost in the middle of endless commercials, you should consider a “talk radio” format.  These stations, like WHAM1180, NPR, or opt for a sports radio station if you don’t want your company to be branded by politics.
  4. If you’re going to do radio, do it right with a testimonial.  Radio personalities are listeners virtual friends, and trusted companions.  Sure it there will be a minimum investment level, but it will make sure you have the right amount of reach and frequency to make an impact.
  5. Stick with it. Start with a small, yet consistent budget.  Own a time period.  Once those listeners know who you are, add another time period or another station.  If I listened to the same station every day at the same time, I would hear those advertisers often and it would have an impact on me.  If I only heard the commercial once, I’m unlikely to remember it when it comes time for me to “Google” for the service. You want people searching for your name in Google, not search for your service and see all of your competitors!  You need to have a consistent message to a consistent group of people for it to work.
  6. ABCDEFG!  You learned the alphabet with a jingle.  Jingles work!  We have access to famous jingle writers (and not so-famous) to fit within your budget.  Make sure if someone else is creating a jingle for you that you are allowed to use it in any format.  I’ve seen many companies expand and are unable to bring their jingle to the new market, or even use the wording online.  Don’t make this mistake!
  7. Leverage.  Find out what the radio station’s goals are, and what they’ll be willing to do if you participate!  Whether it’s a contest, a digital tool or an event sponsorship, find out what their goals are and what they’ll give you for free if you make that investment.
  8. Review performance and optimize.  Some radio partners measure how many people went to your website within a short period of your commercial airing.  If your commercials in the morning are bringing more people to your website than any other time, we change the schedule to make sure we’re using those insights to make your campaign more effective.  You can A/B test commercial messaging, stations, spot lengths, and more! Then compare your cpm to other strategies.  If it is $10 to reach 1,000 people on radio, is it equal to that same $1,000 invested on television where you get a visual to your ad?  Is one station twice as expensive as the other on a “cpm” basis?  CPM is “cost per mille.”  (Hint: mille is Latin for 1,000.)  We negotiate the best rate for you, and that’s not always when the most amount of people are listening.
  9. Supply and demand.  Consider advertising during times that not as many people are listening, or during times when not as many businesses are advertising.  These off-hours provide much more bang for your buck.  The first two weeks of a month are more open than the back half of the month due to the automotive industry taking over.  Auto dealers typically get their incentives from the manufacturer at the beginning of the month.  It takes them some time to place their ads and create the commercials.  Use that time to score a great deal on your radio schedule.
  10. Consider shorter messages.  If your business’s name is self-explanatory, consider four/five-second ads that mention your website. Auto dealers and pizza shops do especially great with this!
  11. Your commercial has to stand out.  Without great creative, your message will get tuned out! 

So no, radio is not dead.  All forms of advertising work, you just have to trust the people you’re doing business with, or hire people with the experience to assist! Connect with the team at Evolution Marketing to learn more.

Natasha Polito is a seasoned media vet with eight years of radio promotions, on-air, and advertising experience.